The top priority of Bashar Assad, sole candidate to succeed his late father Syrian president Hafez Assad, is to regain completely the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel since 1967, foreign minister Faruq Shara said Monday.

"It is in Syria's program and in Bashar's spirit and conscience to regain the whole of the Golan back to the June 4, 1967, line and there can be no dispute about it," said Shara, referring to the borderline in force before Israel occupied the heights.

"Syria wants to regain the Golan and this is a core demand, not subject to negotiations or compromises," said Shara, speaking to journalists after casting his ballot in the daylong referendum to endorse Bashar's access to the presidency.

Shara said "if Israel finds that it can comply with United Nations resolutions and the land-for-peace principle, Syria will not hesitate absolutely to return to the peace process." - DAMASCUS (AFP)